Intermediate Codecs vs. Delivery Codecs
The difference between intermediate codecs and delivery codecs comes down to their purpose: one is built for work (editing), and the other is built for watching (distribution).
The Core Difference: Structure
- Intermediate Codecs (Intra-frame): These encode every single frame as a complete, standalone image. If you have 30 frames per second, the file contains 30 full pictures. This makes it very "heavy" on storage but "light" on your computer's brain (CPU/GPU) because the computer doesn't have to do any math to figure out what a frame looks like.
- Delivery Codecs (Inter-frame / Long GOP): These only save the changes between frames. It might save one full "Keyframe" and then just the data for the moving parts for the next 30 frames. This makes the file size tiny, but the computer has to work extremely hard to "reconstruct" the image in real-time while you edit.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Intermediate (Mezzanine) | Delivery (Distribution) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Goal | Editing speed & image quality | Small file size & compatibility |
| Compression | Intra-frame: Every frame is a full image. | Inter-frame: Saves only the changes. |
| CPU Usage | Low (Smooth playback/scrubbing) | High (Laggy during editing) |
| File Size | Massive (GBs per minute) | Small (MBs per minute) |
| Color Depth | High (10-bit, 12-bit, 4:4:4) | Lower (usually 8-bit, 4:2:0) |
| Generation Loss | Minimal (can be re-saved many times) | High (quality drops quickly if re-edited) |
Examples
Intermediate Codecs
Used during the editing process. You often "transcode" your raw footage into these to make your computer run faster.
- Apple ProRes: The industry standard for Mac and high-end PC workflows (ProRes 422, 4444).
- Avid DNxHR / DNxHD: The standard for Avid Media Composer users; very similar to ProRes.
- GoPro CineForm: An open-source, high-quality intermediate codec known for being very fast.
- Grass Valley HQX: Popular in specific professional broadcast environments.
- Lagarith / HuffYUV: Older, specialized "lossless" intermediate codecs.
Delivery Codecs
Used for the final export. These are what you upload to YouTube, send to a client, or put on a thumb drive.
- H.264 (AVC): The most compatible codec in the world. Used by YouTube, Vimeo, and most cameras.
- H.265 (HEVC): The successor to H.264. It’s twice as efficient (half the file size for same quality) but much harder for old computers to play.
- AV1: A newer, royalty-free codec used by Netflix and YouTube for 4K/8K streaming.
- VP9: Google’s open-source codec used primarily for 4K video on YouTube.
- MPEG-2: The old standard used for DVDs and some digital cable broadcasts.
Summary: Which should you use?
- Use an Intermediate Codec if your computer is lagging while you edit, or if you are doing professional color grading and need to keep every bit of data.
- Use a Delivery Codec when you are finished with your edit and need a file that is small enough to upload to the internet or play on a TV.